Thursday, September 13, 2007

Conservative report on environment a "blueprint for feudalism"

The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties policy institute, today denounces the Conservative Party report Blueprint for a Green Economy as a "blueprint for green feudalism".

Libertarian Alliance Director, Dr Sean Gabb,argues:

"The Conservatives are proposing more taxes and more regulations on the basis of fraudulent claims about the impact of human activity on the climate. There is no global warming. If there is, it is not our doing. If it is our doing, government action is not the answer. But there is no global warming. This whole set of claims is a device to rescue socialism from the failure of its promise to deliver heaven on earth. Shame on theConservatives for joining in the clamour.

"And shame, above all, on the very rich men who are telling us to tighten our belts in their attempt to 'save the planet'. Zac Goldsmith, one of the authors of this Report, is one of the richest men in the country.

David Cameron and John Gummer are not poor. If all the economic growth of the past century were to be rolled back, their sort would not suffer.

"If the rich want to travel, they have their private jets and helicopters. If they want to eat fresh fruit and vegetables out of season, they have their vast greenhouses. If they want to do without washing machines and gas-fired central heating, they can fall back on armies of servants and expensive personal generators. If they want entertainment, they can have their private theatres and orchestras, orwhatever in our degraded modern culture serve in their place.

"For them, a reduction of the general wealth would be a blessing. It would ease pressure on the roads that they would continue using, and reduce numbers at exotic holiday resorts that would remain within their reach.

"These people talk about making the world a better place. Perhaps they believe what they say. The natural effect of their words, however, would be to make the world a better place for people who have done nothing to earn their wealth other than take the trouble to be born.

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

European Commission’s racially offensive comic rises from the dead

The European Commission cartoon comic What?me? a racist?, on the Europa website since 2001, was taken down after a complaint by civil liberties group Liberty and Law, backed by the Commission for Racial Equality, that its caricatures of Europeans of African heritage were offensive.

Commissioner Spidla’s spokesperson asked the Communications Directorate General on 21 August to remove the comic from its website and this was done.

A check on 4 September, however, showed that the comic was up on the site again necessitating another call to the Commission from Liberty and Law and further action from the Commission’s spokesperson.

Update 14 SeptemberAfter reporting its resurrection to the Commission it is now not available.